Jim Sachs, creator of SereneScreen Aquarium, joined us for a chat from 7pm to 8:45pm on Wednesday, December 19th to discuss the Aquarium and his future plans for other screen savers and his films. This chat was hosted and moderated by Morgan (Feldon23), creator of the fan site, forum, and chat room, and Michael (Jav400), administrator of the forum and chat.

*** Jim_Sachs (java@=ij9Jbjm755.tnt2.san-bernardino.ca.da.uu.net) has joined #sachs
[JimSachs] Hi, Guys.
[Orbix] hi Jim!
[Nick34] hail
[grape_jellyfish] hey Jim
[Ziggy40] hi Jim, nice to 'see' you :)
[Jav400] Welcome Jim
[Orbix] Hi
[AlgaeWiz] howdy
[Nick34] Hi from NJ
[stevekat] Hi jim!
[AlgaeWiz] We have snow!
[Ziggy40] Hi from Arizona

[JimSachs] Anything new?
[feldon23] Jim: That's what we were just about to ask you.
[grape_jellyfish] Hi Jim
[grape_jellyfish] thats what we want to know :)

[JimSachs] Well, sales have been thru the roof since that last TechTV blurb.
[AlgaeWiz] Congrats!
[Ziggy40] that's good news! well deserved! :)
[feldon23] Jim: Leo Laporte, host of Screen Savers, seems to like the Aquarium.
[AlgaeWiz] actually it was Sumi Das pushing the Aquarium
[AlgaeWiz] She is with Fresh Gear
[JimSachs] I don't get TechTV here, so I've never seen it.

[Jav400] anyone who has a question for Jim may ask it now, and thanks for everyone showing up.

[AlgaeWiz] well, I really want to see some algae
[Jav400] Jim is algae on the horizon?
[JimSachs] Never
[AlgaeWiz] well, my colleauges and I protest

[Ziggy40] Jim, what's the status of the 3d background?
[JimSachs] I'm taking a short (about a week) break from the 3D background to work on something else.
[JimSachs] You'll like what I'm working on.
[feldon23] would that be the Lionfish?
[JimSachs] Could be.

[HellBound] will the fish pick at the corel in the 3d backround coming soon?
[JimSachs] Yes.

[BillR] Any word on version 1.0 being released?
[JimSachs] Prolific is REALLY close to getting the database search engine online, which is the only thing holding up 1.0
[JimSachs] They were testing the search engine today.

[Doc25] Which retail store has serenescreen in stock?
[JimSachs] Doc - Prolific is talking to Best Buy, CompUSA, Staples, Office Depot, etc.
[feldon23] Jim: but there are no boutique shops anywhere that have it now?
[Ziggy40] What motivated you to start with the aquarium? Was it the techical challenge or the beauty of the nature?
[JimSachs] Ziggy - I'd been watching the state-of-the-art for aquarium programs for about 5 years, with no discernable improvement, so I decided it was time to jump in and do it right.

[Nick34] Jim, any idea when we'll see an Emperor Angelfish?
[feldon23] I know the Emperor has vertical lines, but what if it were a 1024x768-only fish? (I'm still hoping I'll get my Red Sea Sailfin Tang in there)
[JimSachs] It will be a while before I add any more "standard" fish.

[feldon23] Have you reconsidered a developer's kit for a small group of people to create fish and textures?
[JimSachs] Considered and instantly rejected.

[HellBound] Will there be tropical algae eaters? such as turbo grazer snails?
[JimSachs] Yes.

[Jav400] Jim: can you release any details about the new 3D version?
[feldon23] Last time you talked to us, you'd gotten the gravel bed, the blue clams, and an anemone built in 3D. did you get much past that?
[JimSachs] No real news - the background is about 2.5 screens wide, and the camera can pan (dolly, actually) slowly back and forth. You can set the speed, or stop it. The arrow keys can move the camera manually.
[JimSachs] Working on rocks. It's hell.
[feldon23] well I'd figure the 3D isn't so bad, but the textures are a nightmare.
[feldon23] I mean a rock is just a sphere with disjointed vertices :)
[JimSachs] Trouble is, the bulges and dents have to match the texture, or it dowsn't look right, especially with 3D glasses.

[HellBound] Do you watch TechTV?
[JimSachs] Can't get TechTV here.

[Nick34] Jim I purchased 2 copies but only received 1 key code is that normal?
[JimSachs] Nick - Yes, if you used the same name to purchase. Contact Service@serenescreen and they can give you a second Key.
[Nick34] great

[Ziggy40] Jim, do you outsource a part of the work or are you doing EVERYTHING by yourself?
[JimSachs] All myself.
[feldon23] So Prolific helping has completely fizzled?
[JimSachs] They will be doing the new file requesters, if they can get some time.
[feldon23] So much for my fancy schmancy Settings box.
[Orbix] what happend to that other guy that would be doing ur code?
[feldon23] (Will at Prolific)
[feldon23] Sounds like Prolific is too busy making Playstation 2 and Game Boy Advance games. They should drop those and help with the Aquarium.
[JimSachs] That's Will Ware at Prolific. He's just extremely busy. For one thing, I gave him the whole CompuTrainer account.
[feldon23] oh geez
[JimSachs] He had to completely re-write the CompuTrainer software in DirectX.
[feldon23] they had trouble with your proprietary code?
[JimSachs] I had written it in OpenGVS, an obscure language.
[feldon23] I can't wrap my head round C++. I write things in basic. sad really :)
[Jav400] Jim: is Will close to done with the rewrite of Computrainer or still in the middle?
[JimSachs] Yes, it's done.
[JimSachs] DX7 is the interim plan for the Aquarium, until Microsoft gets DX8 under control. [feldon23] I didn't know he was rewriting the Aquarium in DX7.

[Doc25] which retail store has SereneScreen Aquarium in stock?
[JimSachs] Doc - I don't know. Prolific doesn't bother me with details, so I'm usually out of the loop.

[kidbeanz] Jim, I registered your screensaver a long time ago when you first activated your credit card system. Congrats on putting out a product that I can show off to all my friends!
[JimSachs] Thanks for sticking with me for so long.

[Softpac2000] Was the complete aquarium actually drawn by you or is the background a picture?
[JimSachs] Pictures from a dozen different tanks.

[HellBound] Jim, do you play Quake 3?
[JimSachs] HellBound - Nope, don't have time for games.

[Ziggy40] unfortunately I have to leave now (still some work to do) Jim, I want you to know that you are a great artist. It is good that you keep up your high quality standards and that you don't give in to tight time schedules!
[JimSachs] Hmm, Maybe I know who Ziggy is.
[Ziggy40] a pleasant evening, everyone! CU!

[stevekat] Jim, my wife wants me to take down my real tank now that I have yours.

[Nick34] Jim, any chance of adding soft corals?
[JimSachs] Yes, the 3D background will contain soft corals.
[feldon23] Anything that should sway will :)
[JimSachs] Yes.

[HellBound] Will you be going to the CES?
[JimSachs] No.

[grape_jellyfish] will the other screensavers be a bit easier after doing this one? or will it be a totally different, I know it will look different of course, but are they basicaly the same?
[JimSachs] They will be very different, but will use some of the 'boilerplate' code which gets a 3D environment up and running, so that makes it a little easier.
[feldon23] grape is talking about the Butterfly Garden, Terrarium (spiders, chameleons, etc.), and Bird Sanctuary. screen savers coming over the next few years.

stevekat] Is the 3-D background a 3-D glasses type thing, or does that just mean that it will all move?
[JimSachs] Both.

[Nick34] Will this 3D background cost extra?
[JimSachs] No.

[HellBound] Will the 3d backround raise the system requirments?
[JimSachs] Probably, a little.

[feldon23] HellBound: There was a forum poll a long time ago about that. Click Here
[Jav400] Jim: have you deceided just how many fish and Inverts total will be allowed in the new set up?
[JimSachs] Not yet, but something like 10 fish and 3 inverts.

[grape_jellyfish] will the other screensavers come with 3D backgrounds? or a standard one like this one has now.
[JimSachs] All 3D
[feldon23] I think we talked before and that the Butterfly Garden might be a camera looking out a window and there are plants and leaves closeby that butterflies and praying mantis can land on.

[feldon23] Jim: that depends on the 3D background and the DirectX 7 rewrite, correct?
[JimSachs] Mostly the re-write.

[Ferny] Any possibility of seeing a multimonitor version of the aquarium sometime in the future?
[JimSachs] Yes.

[Ferny] I must say the aquarium looks great on my 65" 16:9 tv
[JimSachs] Ferry - Got the widescreen version?
[Ferny] I just emailed you guys for it this afternoon.
[JimSachs] OK. When the 3D background is done, a separate widescreen version will not be needed.
[Orbix] will there be a letterbox version if we dont like it panning back and forth?
[JimSachs] Nope.
[feldon23] Orbix: I know you can stop and start the camera and pan it yourself back and forth. I don't know how the windowed version will work.
[feldon23] Jim: will the windowed version be 4:3 and pan? or will it be 9.5:3 ratio?
[JimSachs] Probably 4:3.
[feldon23] [Orbix] it would be cool if the windowed would show the whole thing.
[JimSachs] Too much overhead. One advantage of the wider tank is that some critters will be off-screen.

[Softpac2000] Jim, the more I look at your aquarium the more it amazes me! Every time I show someone the aquarium they just say WOW! Where can I get it? I don't know how you did it but you are a jenious! Job well done! Keep up your amazing work!
[JimSachs] Softpac - thanks!

[feldon23] Jim: I know you did a version of the Aquarium for NEC. Any idea how many computers they used it on? I know you put the NEC logo on the sides of one of the fish.
[JimSachs] 1 million, but we didn't put the NEC logo on a fish.

[Nick34] A terrarium with poison arrow frogs would be cool Jim.
[JimSachs] It will be so.

[stevekat] Jim, I will buy as many different tanks as you can produce! Please keep them coming!
[JimSachs] Steve - OK.

[[e]-Punk] What tools did you use to create the aquarium? I am a second year student at Sheffield, England and am really getting into my programming :D
[JimSachs] I create the objects in Lightwave, make the textures photographically and with Paint Shop Pro, apply the textures with UView, and wrap the whole thing in C++.

[Softpac2000] Do you have plans for 32 bit version of the aquarium?
[JimSachs] No advantage.
[feldon23] Softpac2000: Please check out this question from the FAQ: http://www.feldoncentral.com/Sachs/FAQ.HTM#Hardware_&_Drivers5

[HellBound] Will the better password protection in the 1.0 version include asking for password when trying to use alt + tab to minimize the screen saver?
[feldon23] HellBound: 1.0 has bulletproof password protection on Windows 95, 98, and ME. Michael and I have tested it.
[[e]-Punk] A 32bit version would stop the click/switch when entering the screensaver on a 32bit screen
[JimSachs] The DX8 version stays in 32-bit if that's what your desktop is.
[feldon23] if Microsoft got their crap together and made DirectX 8 screen savers work perfectly on 95/98/ME, we'd have been using the DirectX 8 version now since June. Jim spent 2 months writing the DX8 version and then had to abandon it for the rest of us because of Microsoft.
[feldon23] Jim: let us know a few minutes ahead of when you need to leave.
[JimSachs] No hurry. Enterprise is a rerun.
[feldon23] I wish you could get DirecTV where you are without putting up a 75 foot pole. Then you could get a DirecTV with TiVo. :) *shameless commercial for TiVo*
[feldon23] I have two DirecTiVo units now. :)
[JimSachs] I'm very close to getting it working, but with only one satellite.
[feldon23] Jim: you only need one satellite dish with dual LNB to serve unlimited DirecTV receviers (with or without TiVo) in your house.
[feldon23] Jim: just need a multiswitch.
[JimSachs] Stll need the other satellite for local stations.
[feldon23] Jim: not after December 27th.
[feldon23] Jim: totally awesome news. they launched a new satellite 3rd week of November. ALL Locals are moving to 101.
[feldon23] and you will get WB and UPN off it too
[Ferny] I've got an 8 way splitter for my DirecTV setup
[JimSachs] OK, I'll look into it.
[feldon23] I can't wait to get UPN and WB on December 27th.
[feldon23] Jim: I've got diagrams of 2, 4, and 8 receivers.

[Jav400] [grape_jellyfish] I know you dont accept pictures from anyone but will you still have a wishlist for the other screensavers?
[JimSachs] Yes.
[feldon23] grape: I've already got ideas for the Butterfly Garden website and a few pictures stashed away.

[[e]-Punk] Is the future of the aquarium going to be limited by its file size?
[feldon23] e-punk: The Aquarium would still be 700kb if the sound were compressed with ADCPM. But due to a problem with DirectSound, the sound is uncompressed right now. The 3D background should only be a few hundred kb. still well under 1.4 mb.
[JimSachs] Haven't decided yet.

[mrr_nobdy] I thought version 1.0 was out. Why isn't it on the website?
[feldon23] mr_nobody: Because Prolific is creating a website where people can punch in their personal information and get 1.0 and their new 1.0 serial number automatically. Otherwise you're talking 300,000 e-mails for everyone to get upgraded.
[JimSachs] mr_nobody - database software to update everyone's Key Code.
[JimSachs] There will be a mass-email to all current users which will contain their new Key Code, and a link to v1.0

[Ferny] any guesstimates on when we will be getting the email for the update?
[JimSachs] Should be before New Years.

[[e]-Punk] I should register sometime in January when my next student loan cheque clears :D
[feldon23] [e]-punk: make sure you register before 1.0. Otherwise you'll have to pay for the Lionfish or whatever special creature.

[mrr_nobdy] If you add a shrimp in the later version, will it count as another fish?
[JimSachs] You will probably be able to have at least 3 invertebrates in the tank in addition to the fish.

[grape_jellyfish] are you still planning on a small school of fish that will count as one?
[JimSachs] Yes, a school of 3.
[feldon23] Jim: there's been a lot of request for a sliding scale on the fish and invertebrates, such as 1 clownfish and 5 inverts.
[Ferny] don't need to go too nuts on the extra moving creatures... it'll start to look like rush hour on the freeway.
[feldon23] Ferny: well, an eel, shrimp, starfish, snail, and nudibranchs wouldn't be too cluttered, and that's 5. Snail's up on the glass, eel is under the rock just peeking out.
[JimSachs] Actually, they're all hidden :)
[feldon23] Emperor's New Clothes approach to the invertebrates, eh?
[feldon23] Best to let Will Ware do my settings panel or some version thereof :)
[JimSachs] Yep. Too complicated to think about right now.

[Ferny] with 7 fish it could get interesting
[Ferny] I'm not all that concerned myself about extra creatures as lon as I have the option to limit/increase the number of them like you have in version 99L
[JimSachs] You will.
[feldon23] Anybody who wants to know what we're talking about with the new settings panel prototype (which might or might not appear, it's justa prototype that I created myself), look here http://www.feldoncentral.com/Sachs/settings/settings101.html

[BeefJerky] Well, I missed most of the chat, and lost the logs because I accidentally rebooted my computer, but I wanted to say hi to Jim and all before going to a friends house :)
[feldon23] Beef: logs will be available online.
[JimSachs] Hi, Beef

[[e]-Punk] SO how many people have the aquarium running in windowed mode now ? hehe
[JimSachs] Me.
[MYK54x4] I do.

[grape_jellyfish] will the fish movements, like the gills moving and individual fish behaviour, be included when the 3D background is done? or later
[JimSachs] Later, except for the new fish I'm working on right now.
[feldon23] Jim is talking about the special creature he's working on right now. He's put the 3D background on the back burner for a few weeks.
[JimSachs] A very few weeks (like 1).

[[e]-Punk] Is 7 fish the recommended maximum number in the size of tank you are trying to create on screen?
[JimSachs] Probably 10.
[feldon23] e-punk: it's a 200 gallon tank. I don't know if you got a chance to see Jim's interview on TV. The 3D background will be much wider, so it has room for more fish.

[[e]-Punk] I am on dialup (which also makes the small filesize ... nice)
[JimSachs] Me too

[feldon23] [stevekat] when will we get this special new fish?
[JimSachs] Hopefully very soon.
[JimSachs] The model is built, I'm working on textures, then the movement algorithm.
[feldon23] how much more complicated would you say the model is?
[feldon23] I know you had to pull the plug on the Banggai Cardinal because of the tendrils.
[JimSachs] About twice the usual number of polygons.
[feldon23] I'm hoping for a snapshot of the wireframe. False hope maybe :)
[JimSachs] The Banggai was going to be a 'standard' fish, and didn't fit the mold.
[Jav400] Jim: is there a possibility that it might be added to the specialty list?
[feldon23] along with the Batfish :)
[JimSachs] Maybe too hard for the regular list, too easy for the specialty list.
[feldon23] for anyone who doesn't know, my favorite missing fish is the Red Sea Sailfin Tang and Michael's is the Long-finned Batfish.

[grape_jellyfish] so...are you going to give Monsters Inc. any competition when you do your movie? or is that the kind of movie you are wanting to create?
[JimSachs] grape - totally different look and feel.
[JimSachs] Think 'Lord of the Rings' - only on a Grand Scale :)
[feldon23] as if Lord of the Rings isn't on a grand scale.
[JimSachs] Anyone here see it today?
[[e]-Punk] I want to go and see that film tomorrow night
[feldon23] I haven't seen it yet.
[JimSachs] I have to wait till my wife is off work on Friday.
[Ferny] I took the series as a lit. course in college

[stevekat] How about a Moorish Idol? Also a Harliquinn Tusk.
[JimSachs] stevekat - Moorish Idol is too close to the Wimplefish.
[stevekat] True, I just think it is a lot prettier though.
[feldon23] Moorish idol has a very wispy fin at top and is yellow and red on ivory. Tt could be very different depending on the species. I mean, the 3 stripe damsel is close to the wimple too :)
[JimSachs] the Wimplefish is also known as 'Poor-man's Moorish Idol'.

[[e]-Punk] Jim, what nationality are you?
[JimSachs] Scotch, Irish, German, English, and Dutch.
[feldon23] Jim was a transport pilot in the US military at one time.
[feldon23] [[e]-Punk] [- Irish, Scotch, English. And born in Germany.

[JJB6486] Really? What did you fly? I like flying as a hobby
[JimSachs] I flew c-141 Starlifters.
[[e]-Punk] My dad was the one who recently purchased the UK WAH-64d Apache Longbow
[JJB6486] i am from USA, but my family is French Canadian
[feldon23] I was born in US. parents and brothers are French Canadian.
[BillR] Jim, I used to fix the RADAR Nav equipment in C-141s back in the late 60s.
[JimSachs] What base?
[BillR] In the U.S. Pope (N.C.), in Viet Nam, Cam Rahn Bay, in England, MIldenhall.
[JimSachs] Been to Pope several times, Vienam once. I was at Norton.
[BillR] Small world!

[feldon23] Jim: Has a Macintosh company like MacKiev been contacted or have any steps been taken towards a Mac version?
[JimSachs] An Apple employee will be doing it.
[feldon23] No word on when they start or how long?
[JimSachs] After April.
[feldon23] [Ferny] Great... my wife loves Mac and will then be available for her
[johnj] i have a PC and Mac.... and i love them both
[[e]-Punk] I don't like Macs, tho I don't really have a reason why!
[feldon23] [e]-punk: I used Mac for 10 years and then switched over. I needed a video editing workstation. Mac would have been $7,000. PC was $4,200. I don't regret the switch, and Mac OS X has to catch up to Windows 2000 now. Maybe when all Mac programs are Mac OS X native it will be better. Fall of 2002 I'll look at Mac again for sound editing.
[JimSachs] I've got a PowerMac around here somewhere. Oh, yeah, there it is keeping the door open.
[johnj] is there something out there... for mac that you know off?
[Ferny] I like them both as well (when I'm not troubleshooting them)
[JJB6486] I used to have a Mac, Performa 6100 (1st Mac To Use The PowerPC Processor). I was one of those die hard mac lovers for a while, but abandoned the mac years ago or Windows (better games)
[[e]-Punk] One of my friends has just turned into a music producer and switched over to a mac
[feldon23] I had a Mac Plus 1MB, a Macintosh IIci, and then a Macintosh IIfx. Was looking at Quadras when the win95 box became available.
[JJB6486] i still have a old Apple IIe in my basement, but some of the keys are busted off the keyboard

[feldon23] must...have...more...questions :)
[JimSachs] Well, maybe it's time to wind up.

[grape_jellyfish] so your movie will be a fantasy?
[JimSachs] 'Hard' sci-fi, not fantasy.
[feldon23] I think Jim said about 70% computer animation.

[[e]-Punk] Did you work of Defender of the crown by the way?
[JimSachs] Yes.
[[e]-Punk] My first ever PC game!
[JimSachs] The PC version was pitiful. CGA, 4 colors.
[[e]-Punk] I got it with Dragons Lair.
[JimSachs] 4096 total colors, 32 on-screen.
[[e]-Punk] Hey, it was 1989. Moving objects amused me.

[stevekat] Are the trigger fishes ever going to have their mid sections stretch like they do?
[JimSachs] You mean the trigger extend? They already do if the fish stops.
[stevekat] I don't recall ever seeing them do that.

[Jav400] Ok everyone, Jim has to go shortly, so at this point I will open up the room for goodbyes. thanks to Jim for joining us, and to everyone for participating
[[e]-Punk] heard today Cineware (think thats what the name was) has reformed ??
[JimSachs] Yes.
[[e]-Punk] I look foward to this remake of Defender of the crown

[Ferny] good to chat with you folks thanks for the opportunity
[[e]-Punk] thanks alot Jim
[JimSachs] My pleasure.
[stevekat] thanks Jim keep up the great work!
[lskdufjlsd] Thanks for the Info
[[e]-Punk] see you on the board, no doubt
[BillR] Thanks Jim, good night everyone.
[stb] Thanks Jim! - a wonderful program! (previous AMIGA user)
[grape_jellyfish] you have a one of a kind program here, glad you are sticking to the high standards you started with
[JimSachs] Thanks, everyone.
[feldon23] good night Jim.
[feldon23] thanks for joining us.
[[e]-Punk] eek nearly 5am, better dash.
[grape_jellyfish] g'night Jim
[JimSachs] See you later.
[Jav400] night Jim
[Orbix] bye
[[e]-Punk] lunch-time chat next time please :D
[JimSachs] Maybe.
[feldon23] yes, we've had some requests for a more Euro-friendly chat.
[JimSachs] Next time.

[Ferny] same as my chats (shameless plug) www.simplyhpc.com
[Ferny] been doing them for a few months now
[Ferny] great work to the moderators... you guys done it right
[Jav400] thx Ferny
[feldon23] Thank you. First organized chat like this.
[JimSachs] It went OK, wasn't overwhelming.

*** JimSachs left at 8:45PM.

[Ferny] please do this again guys
[stb] Thanks!
[Jav400] thanks to everyone for joining us tonight
[[e]-Punk] Perhaps the most famous person I have talked to online
[[e]-Punk] except dvd-tool authors / dvd genie / zoom player / superstar DJS :D
[feldon23] could have talked about which movies influenced him, etc.
[feldon23] he likes Steve Martin
[grape_jellyfish] well maybe in the next chat
[[e]-Punk] I thought Steve Martin was making a comeback for a while
[[e]-Punk] Bowfinger was alright

[Jav400] if you haven't done so already, please register on our forum, and come back again. Of course any news will be posted there.
[feldon23] Believe it or not, we have this chat open every day, and there's usually someone here during USA hours of the da.
[stb] Who won the copy of Graphcraft?
[feldon23] stb: haha. Actually, I wanted to do a doorprize. Maybe next time.
[stb] That would have been funny!

[[e]-Punk] ok, goodnight all
[grape_jellyfish] g'night
[[e]-Punk] thanks guys
[stb] Goodnight and thanks guys!
[Orbix] cya guys...gals

[feldon23] if you have other questions about the Aquarium, alot of them are answered in the Frequently Asked Questions page http://www.feldoncentral.com/Sachs/FAQ.HTM
[feldon23] and you can ask questions on the forum any time you like.

[Ferny] I just started using the program yesterday (saw it on Screen Savers on techtv)
[Ferny] my jaw dropped when I loaded it on my laptop hooked to my 65" tv... awsome
[grape_jellyfish] I'll bet. Ferny, why dont you send us a picture? you can put it on the forum.
[Ferny] I was going to do that until I realized that my CF adapter is at work...ugh
[Ferny] I've got a Dell Inspiron 7500 hooked up to a Sony 65" 16:9 tv
[Ferny] the desktop is set to 800 x 600
[Jav400] kewl, I want a Dell 8100
[feldon23] Ferny: can't set it to 1024x768?

[albert800] Are there any plans to animate the background, ie fans etc?
[feldon23] albert: yes, in a future version, everything that should be animated will be.
[feldon23] albert: swaying in the water flow, etc.

[feldon23] you watch shows in HD?
[Ferny] don't have the little black box for HDTV yet, but possible
[Ferny] I'm typing this out on my new laptop... Latitude C810
[Ferny] I've got a NTSC out on the 7500's port replicator
[Ferny] running 98 SE on the 7500 and 2K on my C810
[Ferny] C810 has the dual display set up at work
[feldon23] Ferny: you definately want a VGA -] Component adapter box so you can run 1024x768 progressive scan to the TV. things cost money I know :)
[Ferny] just paying off the tv right now! lol
[Ferny] I was really suprised by the pic quality on the tv
[feldon23] I guess that box is $80 or so
[Ferny] the aquarium looks better than anything else off the 7500

[albert800] great, now if I could only figure out what is locking it up?
[feldon23] albert: What video card do you have? What version of Windows?
[albert800] ATI Wonder 128, Windows 2000
[albert800] norton anti running also
[feldon23] albert: I'd make sure you have the best drivers. http://www.feldoncentral.com/Sachs/help.html
[albert800] Thanks

[Ferny] you got a URL for that component box?
[feldon23] hmm
[feldon23] I'd have to search at AVSForum.com
[feldon23] do you read that forum at all?
[feldon23] I read the TiVO forum there.
[feldon23] I'm a TiVo fanatic.
[Ferny] naa not big on most of them

[Ferny] I've been thinking about how I want to do PVR
[Ferny] thru a PC or Tivo. Seriously looking at Tivo
[feldon23] have you got DirecTV?
[Ferny] on 4 tv's
[feldon23] cool. So you should replace at least one of them with a $99 DirecTiVo. It records 2 shows at once.
[Jav400] lol, the TiVo chat has been started
[grape_jellyfish] my thoughts exactly
[feldon23] you can use the TiVo 4 hours-ahead guide or the DirecTV guide
[Jav400] you have found a kindred spirit
[Ferny] that's what I'm thinking about
[feldon23] you run 2 leads off the multiswitch to the TiVo
[feldon23] I can't get Jav400 or grape to get TiVos. go figure
[Ferny] lol
[feldon23] even tho grape has a whole list of shows she'd record
[grape_jellyfish] well i said i might after i move
[Ferny] always a reason...
[feldon23] I have all 3 Law & Orders, Star Trek TNG, Oz, Max Bickford
[Ferny] that's the thing... storage space
[feldon23] the DirecTiVo records DD5.1 or whatever shows have
[grape_jellyfish] no really, it would be silly to get it now then move to another state in a few weeks
[feldon23] DirecTiVo comes with 28-35 hours of recording.
[Ferny] plenty
[feldon23] dropping a hard drive in is a piece of cake.
[feldon23] and that's 28-35 at Best (DirecTV) quality
[feldon23] it just writes the DTV signal to the hard drive, no recompression necessary
[feldon23] people have 170 hour DirecTIVos :) Scary. that's a long summer vacation
[Ferny] damn
[feldon23] if a show reschedules, it catches it. It catches marathons.
[feldon23] you can say "reruns and new ones" or "new ones only"
[feldon23] sometimes I think of a movie I want to rent at Blockbuster. Instead I put a wishlist. I've sat down and found movies I'd forgotten I'd asked for. One of these days, Avengers will get syndicated by someone and it will start recording without me having to ask.
[Ferny] I could really screw myself up
[Ferny] I'd plug all sorts of stuff in there
[feldon23] like if your wife/girlfriend watches Oprah, you can say "only keep 2" and it will delete the oldest one right before it records the new one
[Ferny] hell... delete both

[feldon23] grape is afraid she'd watch Andy Griffith all the time :)
[grape_jellyfish] i already do
[feldon23] I do have a VCR laying around. for tape backup. hehe
[Ferny] I've been stuck on techtv lately
[Ferny] finding tidbits here and there, like the aquarium!

[feldon23] Leo Laporte apologized on the TiVo forum for TechTV's poor guide information. every episode shows up as new, even if it's a rerun.
[feldon23] I still have a segment on my TiVo from way back on Tech Live.
[feldon23] don't have video capture working right now though
[feldon23] hm. West Wing and Law & Order were on tonight. completely forgot.
[feldon23] I would have forgotten to set the VCR too.
[grape_jellyfish] and the commercial goes on....
[feldon23] anyway, enough TiVo selling
[feldon23] grape and Jav are about to strangle me
[feldon23] it just boggles the mind that people can justify a cell phone so easily, but a TiVo is so hard to sell
[Ferny] new tech. People are used to cellphones
[grape_jellyfish] well i dont have a cell phone either...happy now?
[feldon23] people's time is so limited that they shouldn't be a slave to the TV schedule, and they shouldn't be sitting and watching junk that they've missed 20 minutes of, or the same Mitsubishi commercial they've seen 30 times.
[Ferny] took years for folks to get online... but now look around
[feldon23] I got my dad a TiVo but he just doesn't get it.
[feldon23] he uses it for a couple shows, but he still channel surfs and watches commercials.
[feldon23] maddening
[feldon23] when I'm there, I tell him, I'll watch Max Bickford, but only if we start watching the 9pm showing at 9:15.
[feldon23] no way I'm going to see that Mitsubishi commercial again!

[Ferny] like the joke about the guy trying to send a fax on his computer by holding the page to the monitor
[Ferny] it just don't quite sink in at first
[Ferny] any of you folks got win CE devices?
[Ferny] ipaq, HP Jornada; the Windows version of the Palm
[Jav400] I use a Palm IIIc
[Ferny] I had a Palm V
[Ferny] went with a Jornada 720
[Ferny] looks like a mini laptop
[Jav400] I wouldn't mind having one of the new 505's
[Ferny] works like one too
[Jav400] but would rather just get a Dell 8100
[Ferny] slightly more power
[Jav400] hehe, only slightly :)
[feldon23] Michael is eyeing the Dell 8100
[Ferny] I tell ya the Dell Latitude C810 is great
[Ferny] it's 15" LCD is 1600 x 1200 native
[Ferny] business version of the Inspiron 8100
[feldon23] what does it add?
[Ferny] compatibility with all the old and new Latitude add-ons
[Ferny] I've got a 7500 on the tv now and I can't believe how well it works
[Ferny] I'll still get years out of the 7500
[feldon23] I wasn't in a huge rush to upgrade my Pentium II 450 system but the opportunity presented itself.
[Ferny] I'll get you that pic tomorrow
[Ferny] just took a few
[feldon23] I'll host it on feldoncentral.com if you want
[Ferny] I'll get my 9 year old to stand next to it to give some scale
[Ferny] sounds good
[Ferny] what time zone are you folks in?
[feldon23] Central here
[grape_jellyfish] eastern
[Ferny] me too
[Ferny] you need sleep grape!
[grape_jellyfish] nah

[Ferny] so who's idea was this fan site?
[feldon23] I started out as a fan in December
[feldon23] downloaded the Aquarium and realized there was no way to tell which fish was which, cause I'm not a marine biologist or Aquarium keeper and I'm sure nobody else is :)
[feldon23] so I made the fish guide, wishlist, and news page and e-mailed the link to Jim
[feldon23] he sent me a 2 page thank you and linked to my site
[feldon23] since then, I added the forum and chat, a big wishlist
[feldon23] and recently I've helped redesign SereneScreen.com
[Ferny] who does the support page on serene?
[feldon23] well, I did redesign, etc. on the pages
[Ferny] I've got additions for the page
[feldon23] the actual support is handled by Steve and other people who Jim hired.
[Ferny] been talking to Steve via email

[Mikeyboy] Any plans or development for wide screens?
[feldon23] Mikeyboy: There has been a 16:9 version of the Aquarium since July.
[Ferny] free if you own the deluxe version
[Mikeyboy] Got the download a few months ago but anything new ?
[feldon23] a future version of the Aquarium will have a 3D background that's 2.5 times as wide as it is tall. this one version of the Aquarium will accomodate 4:3 and 16:9 wide. it will have moving corals and 10 fish (at once)
[Ferny] good for us folks with a 16:9

[Mikeyboy] Beauty - What about 1.0 - any date ?
[feldon23] 1.0 is just a screen saver password fix and new serial number
[Ferny] email by New Years
[feldon23] maybe by New Years
[Ferny] keeping my fingers crossed
[feldon23] I started toying with 1.0 in September. *yawn* :)

[Mikeyboy] Did Jim ever persue the butterfly idea
[feldon23] Mikeyboy: Butterfly Garden is next after he's 'done' with the Aquarium. he might start working on the butterfly garden end of 2002.
[Ferny] sounds like it could be pretty good

[Mikeyboy] There was a time when I could email directly to Jim but it looks like he's far too busy now.
[feldon23] Mikey: your best bet is to post to the forum
[Mikeyboy] yep
[feldon23] he reads it several times a day

[Mikeyboy] Whatever happened to the tap-the-glass feature ?
[feldon23] Coming in the future.

[Ferny] Mikey: what kind of widescreen do you have?
[Ferny] I just got a Sony 65"... god I love it
[Mikeyboy] How much?
[Ferny] $3500 with $500 rebate, HDTV-ready
[feldon23] Mitsubishi HDTVs are nice
[feldon23] Pioneers too
[feldon23] The Sony 65" is beautiful
[Mikeyboy] Thats about $7000 in Aussie dollars - bugger
[Ferny] damn thing is big, but love it
[Mikeyboy] Better go back to work so I can earn some money
[Ferny] can have my PC and another Video input on the screen at the same time
[Mikeyboy] Thanks Feldon23 & Ferny

Thank you all for joining us for the chat, and we hope to have another one in the future.